


Return: 700 BCE (Day 1)

by opalmatrix



Category: Hebrew Bible
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 1, Female Characters, Gen, Jewish Character, Teacher-Student
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-22
Updated: 2010-02-22
Packaged: 2017-10-07 11:52:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/pseuds/opalmatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jonah discovers that the job isn't done yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Return: 700 BCE (Day 1)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cosmogyral](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmogyral/gifts).



> Written for **[purimgifts](http://community.livejournal.com/purimgifts/)** 2010\. Contains some general spoilers for the Book of Jonah. Beta by [**smillaraaq**](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Smillaraaq/pseuds/Smillaraaq/) .... what would I do without her?

"Is that story about you and the whale true?"

The Prophet Jonah, seated beneath a grape arbor, sighed but didn't open his eyes. There was to be no rest for the weary this afternoon. "It is true, child."

"It sounds pretty crazy."

"The ways of the Holy One are mysterious to us."

"Why would He want a whale to swallow one of His prophets?"

"I wasn't going to do my job."

"But if you got killed by a whale, the job still wouldn't be done."

"Very true." The Prophet squinted at the small figure before him. The light from behind made it hard to see anything but a young shadow.

"What were you supposed to do?"

"Warn the wicked people of Nineveh that the Holy One would destroy them if they did not cease their evil ways."

"Why didn't you want to do that?" The child propped itself against one of the worn uprights of the arbor, clearly prepared to stay for the entire story, however long it might take.

"They had been wicked for many years. They were a plague upon the earth."

"But ... if they were destroyed, they couldn't do anything good, either."

"Again, true." Jonah yawned extravagantly. His impromptu pupil did not take the hint.

"Just like you and getting eaten by the whale."

"Actually, it was a great fish, not a whale. And here I am."

"Oh! So you decided to do your job, and the Holy One saved you, and you warned them, and they stopped being evil?"

"Just so."

"So are they still behaving themselves?"

Jonah stared at the urchin. It looked to be a girl. "How should I know? We're a hundred miles from the place. I haven't been there for years. But I haven't heard any bad news about it, either."

"You should check on them," she said, severely. "You shouldn't just expect that they're going to keep behaving themselves, if they were that bad! I'll go with you."

"What? Certainly not! What would your parents say?"

"I don't have any. 'Shannah at the tavern feeds me. And tries to make me wash pots."

"Then you should go back to her and do _your_ work."

"That's not important! Helping a prophet would be much more important. Come on, you need to see what they're up to in Nineveh."

"Child, I'm not going anywhere at the moment. I'm going to take a nap."

"You're really lazy for a - no, wait, don't lie down there!"

"Why not?"

"Don't you see that little vine? It's a grape vine! You have to train them and let them grow up strong, so we'll have more grapes later!"

The prophet gazed at the fresh young sprouts: the one beside him, and the one before him, full of energy and promise for the future. He remembered a blistering hot day, and a shady green plant.

"All right, already. We'll go to Nineveh. But it's too late to start today."

"I'm going with you?"

"Believe me, if I thought I could stop you, I would."

"Thanks, Prophet!"

"You should call me 'Rav Jonah.' What is your name?"

"Gilit, Rav Jonah."

"Pleased to meet you. And now I'm taking my nap. Your job now is to make sure no one wakes me for an hour."

"I can do that!"

"I'm sure," said the Prophet, firmly, and stretched out with his head pillowed on one arm.

The next morning, the two set out for Nineveh together.

 

* * *

_Image of little Yemeni Jewish girl from [World 66](http://www.world66.com/asia/middleeast/yemen/lib/gallery/showimage?pic=asia/middleeast/yemen/people/jewish_child) travel site; Photoshop filters applied._


End file.
